The Hanging Gardens of Babylon

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon takes on the extraordinary life journey of Ismaiel-Bhayah-Aldean; a high profile Iraqi Surgeon, recalling the unforgettable experiences of his life in Iraq. Beginning with medical school and the years before Saddam, Ismaiel goes on to vividly relive life on the front line during the Iran-Iraq war, the experiences of his friends and family under Saddam and the life altering moments when he was brought face to face with the Dictator himself. Ismaiel's life reflects the strength of the human spirit, showing how the selfless love for others and our basic instinct to survive can pull us through the hardest of times and allow us to piece our lives back together.

Ismaiel Aldean is an Iraqi native who qualified from Baghdad Medical School before completing his Surgical training in the United Kingdom. There he met his Irish wife Mary and the two returned to Iraq to start their lives together, living there for 12 years. During those years, Aldean built his own hospital and was directly involved in the vicious eight-year Iraq-Iran war as a leading surgeon on the front line, where he dealt with some of the most horrific medical cases and witnessed the human tragedy of war. Due to his position in society, he interacted with top political leaders, including Saddam Hussein. These encounters gave him a rare insight into the unknown side of Saddam’s personality and the positive impression he left on the dictator was eventually the reason he made it out alive. Aldean stated that, after receiving a tip from a member of the government in 1990, he and his family left Iraq unaware of why they were being advised to leave. It was not until they landed in the U.K. that the invasion of Kuwait was announced in the media and the realization that they would never return struck home. Aldean spent the following years rebuilding a life for his family and worked at Trafford General Hospital, Manchester, for 13 years before retiring in 2010. Aldean was appointed as colorectal surgeon in 1997, served as divisional director of surgery for nine years and was awarded seven Clinical Excellence Awards for his work. During his time in Manchester, he was also appointed tutor and examiner at Manchester Medical School and examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons in Scotland.